Emphasizing Butte’s rich history could attract many more tourists to the Mining City, according to the county historical preservation officer.

Jim Jarvis, in a presentation Wednesday at the Archives, discussed various way of increasing tourism, like clearer, more unified signage, a more welcoming entrance to Uptown, and creating a heritage tourism council where members build a vision that sells Butte’s product — its history.

Jarvis, who’s lived in Butte about 3½ years, said heritage tourism has been discussed in Butte over the past two decades, but solid plans haven’t really taken shape. Marketing, Jarvis said, has been the missing ingredient. Last year, a consultant helped update the 1993 Butte-Anaconda Regional Historic Preservation Plan. New plans include marketing strategies to attract tourists who drive through Butte — but don’t stop.

Approximately three million nonresidents drive by Butte each year, mostly between May and October, Jarvis said. But less than 1 percent of those tourists stop.

To attract visitors to “Montana’s Copperway,” Jarvis said it’s important to have a website, clear signage on the highway, and well-maintained historic features clearly marked by signs showing the way.

Jarvis said his focus is on Uptown Butte. Plans for revitalizing the heritage on the hill could apply to the rest of Butte and Anaconda as well, he said.

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Heritage tourism would generate money to build on and improve Butte’s history and help make the city more tourist-friendly, Jarvis said.

But another source of funding that will be used specifically for historic preservation and economic development is the $15 million in a redevelopment trust account that should be available for use this year, Jarvis said. The money comes from an ARCO